Ron Mitchell

COAST TO COAST — DAY 10 REPORT

The support team has rested overnight in Summerside. On rising, they find out that the riders are in North Rustico, just 30 kilometers away.

Real Food

As the rested support team arrives in North Rustico with a dozen Tim Horton’s coffees, they turn a corner searching down the road for the team. There they are. The RV is pulled off to the side of the road. Bikes, gear and riders are all strewn about the lawn in front of the small commercial building as the team prepares for another transition. Nine days has taken it’s toll on bodies and equipment and this valuable time in the morning light is used to repair tires, reload the RV and relieve aching muscles. Another benefit: the team strolls into a nearby café for a full breakfast of pancakes, bacon and coffee. Why does the worst food always taste the best?

Lobsterfest

Once refueled, the team gets organized and on the road with a fresh set of riders, including Erik Jensen. The route will take the team to the eastern end of PEI, then down to the ferry terminal at Wood Islands for the crossing to Nova Scotia. Ron reads a dedication to his Aunt Virginia, who, while never managing a visit to PEI, was the world’s biggest lobster fan. She died of cancer in 1997. As Erik rides the backroads of PEI with him C2C team mates, Ron also reads a dedication to his mother-in-law, Mildred Clarke who died at age 55 of colon cancer. Her daughter, Barb, was with her every moment of her last three weeks.

Island Holiday

The ferry at Wood Islands is called Island Holiday. The RV arrives at the parking area with more than an hour to spare for the next ferry. The riders on the road soon follow. Nothing to do but wait. It’s a beautiful summer day, so everyone piles out of the RV. Including Lon and his massage table. In a scene reminiscent of those 1970’s British "Gone Camping" movies, Freddy and Scott extract lawn chairs, prop them against the side of the RV and catch some rays. Meanwhile, Mitch and Kevin repair bikes and tires. Lon massages Jeff. Dan conducts some one-on-one interviews. Tourists walk by, not quite sure what to make of all this. Some riders explain, collecting more good wishes than donations to the Coast to Coast Ride Against Cancer cause.

Welcome to Nova Scotia

The 75-minute ride across the Northumberland Straight delivers the team to Caribou Island, just north of Pictou, Nova Scotia. Riders are ready are take off as soon as the team pictures are done. Dr. Pat suits up in borrowed Coast to Coast jersey, pants, socks and shoes and on Mitch’s bike joins Hamish and Freddy for a brisk 30-kilometer ride along Highway 6 west of Pictou. This picturesque road hugs the shoreline, offering spectacular views of the Straight and back toward Prince Edward Island.

When the Cat’s Away

With Dr. Pat out of the RV for the first time in nine days, there is a surprising giddiness among the team. First stop is an ice cream parlour. Everyone indulges. Dr. Pat would not approve.

The Last Night Ride

As evening formulates in the sky, the team is heading south toward Truro, arriving in this busy Nova Scotia crossroads town about 9 PM. Navigating the busy streets to find the right road out of town is a challenge, but with some last-minute radio instructions, the team successfully exits town on Highway 236, heading toward South Maitland. Just then the phone rings and it’s Jeff’s aunt. She is trying to figure out when we’ll be passing by the home of some other elderly relatives of Jeff. After a brief consultation with the map, it’s determined that they are nowhere near the current position and meeting up will be impossible. Jeff’s aunt is disappointed, but understands. These people have known cancer in their family. They are rightfully proud of the effort of this C2C team and of Jeff. This is a missed opportunity for inspiration for everyone.

Crash

It’s just past dark. Jamie and Scott now have a rhythm on 236. Not much traffic, and the road is fun, twisty and up-and-down. Just as Scott looks back to signal the RV, his front wheel dives into a whale-sized pothole. With one hand on his handlebar, it’s not enough. Scott is flipped over the handlebars. In a well-practiced maneuver, he lands and rolls with the momentum, minimizing the impact, while consciously scrambling away from the path of the RV. The big vehicle slams to a stop just four feet from the downed bike, but safely back from Scott. He examines his impact points — elbow, hip and helmet. After more than 6600 kilometers of team riding, he earns the first set of genuine road rash on the 2003 C2C Ride. Once again, he lives up to his nickname, "Crash".

Dillon Sligter is a Fighter

Dillon Sligter just turned 6. He’s been battling cancer since he was one. Two years ago he had a bone marrow transplant and wasn’t expected to survive more than 2 years. His parents just found out that his cancer is back and is spreading quickly. Listening to this dedication from Dillon’s parents Ila and John, Scott simply puts aside the pain from his crash. He presses on silently with Jamie, both thinking of little Dillon and the fight he will face in the coming months.

Ancient Mountains

The last segment of the Coast to Coast Ride Against Cancer will take the team through central Nova Scotia, along Highway 236 through Kennetcook and Mosherville toward Windsor. From there, down Highway 14 to Chester on the Atlantic coast. The ride along 236 is grueling… long steep climbs in the dark, treacherous fast descents on rough twisting roads. Keeping up in the RV is an endless adjustment of go-fast, go-slow. Keeping the riders just the right distance ahead is key to their safety. These are ancient mountains. And the roads were built long before civil engineering perfected the science of "cut and fill". As a result, these old roads often have dangerously steep ascents and descents. It takes its toll on tired legs and the average speed drops to about 20 Km/H.

The End is Near

The RV is stopped for a transition. Sleeping riders stir. Jeff and Fred are scheduled to ride the last segment into Chester. Hamish suits up as well. Chester is his second home and he wants to finish this segment leading the other riders into town. It’s a final grueling ride up and down twisty, fast roads. Hamish shows his teammates what he’s made of by lunging for the lead and never relinquishing it. His strong legs are a good match for his strong will, and inspire even greater effort from Jeff and Fred. Together, they quickly close the distance to Chester. At 3:00 AM, with only a few kilometers to go, the last dedication of the night is read aloud to the three riders. Norm Beznoska Jr. had emergency surgery in September 1999: stage 3 testicular cancer, stomach tumors and spots on his lungs. And just four weeks from graduating from the US Naval Aviator Academy. After rounds of chemo, Norm maintained his positive attitude, finding inspiration in Lance Armstrong’s story, and the support of his family. It’s been two years, and he is now in complete remission. He also now has his Naval Aviator Wings of Gold and is on active duty in the US Navy with a helicopter squadron based in San Diego. His positive attitude, his courage and his determination to survive are an inspiration to the whole C2C team.

A Real Bed, Some Real Food

The last 15 kilometers of the ride into Chester are a long gradual downhill from the ancient mountains of Nova Scotia. Gliding past the sleepy village and out along Highway 3, Hamish leads the riders and the team to the final destination. The team is greeted by Lucy, Hamish’s wife and Lesley, Freddy’s wife. The two have stayed up, making a huge pot of chili to greet the riders and team. It’s late. Food is stuffed down. Then real beds are allocated. Each rider settles in for a brief rest in a bed that doesn’t move, for the first time in 10 days.

As heads hit pillows at 4:30 AM, it’s only 2 short hours before they must rise again for the final run into Halifax.